21st National Sports Festival: Lagos Leads Niger, Imo, Sokoto, FCT, Gombe and Katsina teams into Asaba

The contingent from Lagos, Niger, Imo, Gombe, Katsina, Sokoto and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) were among early arrivals in Asaba, the Delta State capital on Monday.

The flag hoisting ceremony for Delta 2022 National Sports Festival will hold at 4.00 p.m. on Tuesday ahead of Wednesday’s opening ceremony slated for the Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba.

Majority of the athletes who arrived in Asaba on Monday were thrilled by the quality of facilities provided by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa for the Games.

One major area that caught attention of the athletes and their officials was the new tartan track installed at the Stephen Keshi Stadium.

In 2018, when Delta State hosted the African Senior Athletics Championship, athletes from different parts of Africa complained that the tartan track was not smooth enough.

In his bid to host the best ever National Sports Festival, Governor Okowa ordered that a new tartan track be installed for Nigerian athletes to showcase their talent.

The tartan track at the Stadium is the first of its kind in Africa.

Other facilities built for Delta 2022 Games are two brand new indoor sports halls, a new swimming pool, a new shooting range, all within the Stephen Keshi Stadium as well as a new hockey pitch at Okpanam.

Delta won the bid to host the festival which is Nigeria’s version of the Olympics Games at the end of the last edition held in Benin City, Edo State, last year.

Governor Okowa has also constructed new hostel facilities at the NYSC camp at Issele-Uku and in various schools within Asaba.

Delta 2022 National Sports festival will see a total of 11, 000 athletes in attendance. It is about 2,000 more than the number that participated at the last edition in Edo State.